In her first season as an assistant coach working with the Kansas offense in 2011, KU alum Jessica Smith helped the Jayhawks collect their second-most goals in program history (46) while their 131 total points marked the third-highest output in a KU single season. Smith served as a volunteer assistant at Kansas for two years from 2009-10 before being promoted to full-time assistant coach at her alma mater in July 2011. One of the most successful offensive players in program history, Smith played for the Jayhawks from 2002-05. Before her current role with KU, Smith coached at various levels in the Kansas City Metro area, including as a varsity assistant coach for both the boys’ and girls’ teams at Olathe Northwest High School. During her time at ONWHS, she helped lead the Lady Ravens to back-to-back region championships in 2008 and 2009, while assisting with the Ravens’ boys regional championship team in 2007. Several of her players on both the girls’ and boys’ sides went on to play soccer at the college level.
